'Bread and Butter' Physician Recognized for Excellence

Randy Rottenbiller, '78, named USPHS Physician of the Year
August 3, 2004

Randy Rottenbiller, ’78, was recently named Clinical Physician of the Year for the U.S. Public Health Service.

“It’s quite an honor, for someone like me, doing bread and butter medicine in a remote area,” says Rottenbiller, who has served as a family physician at the Blackfeet Community Hospital on Montana's Blackfeet reservation for the past 19 years. Rottenbiller was chosen for the award from among thousands of USPHS doctors, who work everywhere from rural outposts to state-of-the-art research laboratories.

Rottenbiller began work on the reservation in 1985, when he owed the U.S. government two years of service in return for medical school scholarships. He quickly discovered the challenges associated with a USPHS rural medicine career, challenges that prove too intimidating for many physicians.

“You get to utilize all the training you’ve ever had, and more,” says Rottenbiller, who delivers babies, performs general surgery and works in emergency medicine, in addition to carrying a caseload of at least 400 patients.

In addition, he explains, “as part of Indian Health Services, we’re one of the few health care systems in the country that provides direct patient care under a budget. We can’t spend what we have and expect someone else to pay for the rest. It’s tough to provide good health care and watch the bottom line at the same time.”

Despite the challenges, Rottenbiller relishes his career. “You feel like you’re really doing something worthwhile,” he says. Rottenbiller notes that his patients likewise appreciate his longevity, in an organization where few doctors stay beyond the two-year rotation. “My patients like having a doctor who knows their history, knows their family. I enjoy having this consistent group of people who appreciate me, as well.”